Do you want to see a snowman? Go to Kainos for the Dry Hollow Elementary exhibit

Kristal Corey and Erica Salvagno-Lente, Library Media Assistants at Dry Hollow Elementary, hung some 40 plus snowman drawings by elementary students in Kainos Coffee’s front window this morning, Jan. 20. The drawings influenced by artistic movements of Cubism, Impressionism and Pointillism put a fun twist on the carrot-nosed friends.

Fifth Grader Uma Carosella used mixed media to give her artistic expression in an homage to the warmer days of spring set to come.

By Tom Peterson

“I like the square snowman,” said Courtney Lehman of Kainos Coffee in Downtown The Dalles. “Is that Cubism?”

You bet it is, Courtney. 

And there is Impressionism, Pointillism, even a splash of Jackson Pollock.

It’s all part of a contest held at Dry Hollow Elementary this month where students were encouraged to submit paintings of snowmen based on different artistic movements. 

It was the brainchild of Kristal Corey and Erica Salvagno-Lente, library media assistants at the school. 

Kindergartner Halle Dodson saw the wind as inspiration.

They recorded an educational piece on the book, If Picasso Painted a Snowman, by Amy and Greg Newbold. And asked students for the submissions. Teachers also encouraged them to get involved and after drawings were returned to school, each class received one vote for their favorite. 

But the true piece de resistance is a public showing now going on at Kainos Coffee at 418 E. Second St. Every drawing now covers the front window of the business. They will be there through Jan. 29th.

It’s a kind of a who’s who in the K-5 art world.   

Corey and Salvagno-Lente put them up this morning. 

“We shared examples of fine art and read the book,” Corey said of the instructional video they made for students. “We told them you can do any of these styles or you can do your own. You’re an artist too.”

Second-grader Olivia Clark used Impressionism in this piece.

“Mine is a snowman Pez dispenser taped to a piece of paper,” Salvagno-Lente laughed.

“We call that Realism,” Corey shot back.

Kainos’ Drew Bernier said they were excited for the colorful art that now engages pedestrians and coffee aficionados.

“Hopefully parents will come down here and check it out too,” he said.

The weather gods might be onto it as well.

“We actually like snow,” Corey said. “We do snow dances on request.”

“Put your PJs on backward and say, ‘snow day’ three times,” added Salvagno-Lente. 

That might just work. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for snow next week and the second week of February.

Sean Anderson forces us to use our Gestalt with Pointillism in this drawing of a young person with a snowman and tree.

Contest Winners are:

K- Lana Greear, 1st; Halle Dodson, 2nd 

1 - Emma Roderick, 1st; Paylzee Hanks tied with Gwen McNeal, 2nd

2- Mateo Carosella, 1st; Zayne Orozco, 2nd

3- Emmanuel Giles, Eddie Guzman, Makayla Handley 3 way tie for 1st; Temperance Prince 2nd

4- Kendyl Sallee, 1st; Rozlyn Elliott, 2nd 

5-  Uma Carosella, 1st; Rivers Kohltfarber, 2nd

Katelynn Benjamin must have had a front-row seat for our recent windstorm because her snowman happily withstanding the wind in this smiling piece that bends toward Vincent van Gogh’s work.

Fourth-grader Kendyl Sallee took to Cubism in this piece that received a blue ribbon.